First Peter
Verses eight and nine: Note that in these two verses the apostle admonishes the people of the church to treat “one another” well. Note that he says nothing about those outside the Church of God. This does not mean that we can be unchristian toward outsiders. It means that we are to be especially cordial toward those of our own spiritual kind. Those outside the Body of Christ who want what His saints have–God’s light–will come to that light. Just as God prophesied in Matthew 7:13,14, such are few in number. As He also prophesied, the masses outside His church reject the few who are in it. This creates a spiritual “bunker mentality” within God’s people, making them yearn for a friendly face, word or act. For this reason He wants us to present such to our fellow saints in all situations. Because they have never experienced persecution on the Biblical level, those outside the Body of Christ cannot envision being rejected on the spiritual level by everyone around them, as well as those who simply know about them. What is most hurtful is the rejection on the part of the family. Just as Jesus accepted on the social and familial level but was rejected on the spiritual level by his mother, brothers, sisters and friends, so are His disciples. In the series titled Persecution I point out the numerous Scriptures where He promised this would be the case for all who would embrace Him–without exception. For this reason He admonishes His followers “above all things” to be kind toward “one another.”
In Matthew 12:46-48 Jesus gives us a perfect illustration of the “bunker mentality” that He and His disciples maintained throughout His ministry and later their collective ministries. In this passage Jesus was speaking to a group of people inside a house. His mother and half-siblings refused to go inside where they would be identified with Him. Instead they asked Him to come outside where they could speak with Him in secret. Having been told that His “brethren” were outside wishing to speak with Him, Jesus pointed toward His disciples and declared that only those who obeyed His heavenly Father were His brethren. Their “bunker” included only 13 people at that time. It is for this reason Jesus said that if only 2 or 3 were gathered in His name, He would be there. Some “bunkers” contain only one person, which was my situation for several years during which I observed God’s Sabbath, etc. alone. The walls of my office heard many a good sermon, as did the inside of my car. Today there are two of us in this area of the world. But through this website and YouTube many others are reading and hearing God’s Truth for the first time.
Verses ten and eleven: Again we find Peter, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, telling the church how to deal with “one another.” Here he is referring to the ministry in which only God’s Word/Truth (Jn. 17:17) is to be put forth. We are to strictly limit our ministering to “the oracles of God” and to carry out our ministry with the ability which He provides in order to bring glory to Him and Him alone. L.J.
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